A survey by Escape Studios, which questioned over 2,850 professionals, hobbyists, students and academics in October and November 2009, has found that professionals working in the Computer Graphics industry are happy in their jobs, despite having concerns about job security and training.
The survey paints a picture of an energetic, happy workforce that realises it needs to take responsibility for its own development to secure continuous employment. 80 per cent of CG professionals are happy working in the CG industry, and 59 per cent would recommend the career to others. However, the survey flags training and job security as key concerns for CG professionals. 42 per cent of respondents said they are worried about job security, while a massive 62 per cent agreed they have had to do more training to refine their skills.
PRESS RELEASE
Happiness matters in the CG industry despite the fact that many professionals worry about job security and training. This is the key trend from a wide-ranging survey of the CG profession carried out by Escape Studios.
The survey paints a picture of an energetic, happy workforce that realises it needs to take responsibility for its own development to secure continuous employment. 80 per cent of CG professionals are happy working in the CG industry, and 59 per cent would recommend the career to others. However, the survey flags training and job security as key concerns for CG professionals. 42 per cent of respondents said they are worried about job security, while a massive 62 per cent agreed they have had to do more training to refine their skills.
Professionals find working in CG creatively stimulating (voiced by 77 per cent of respondents) and challenging (65 per cent of respondents said they enjoyed learning new skills on the job). 73 per cent agreed they are proud of the work they do. However, half of those surveyed disagreed with the statement ‘I get enough training in my job’, compared with just over a quarter (27.5 per cent) agreeing.
Dominic Davenport, CEO of Escape Studios, said “Everyone is worried about their job, and rightly so – most CG professionals know they need to keep their skills up to date if they are to remain employable, and expect to have to fund their training out of their own pockets. There is an opportunity here for the right organisations, offering the right training, to snap up the best talent. We’re a young industry, and we’re learning all the time, but those companies that put employee development front and centre will be the ones to succeed.”
Robin Shenfield, CEO of The Mill, said “It is impossible to underestimate the value of training in our business. We rely on highly skilled and talented people and it is incredibly encouraging to see such satisfaction amongst CG professionals. However, it is vital that as an industry we make sure our people have access to the best training in order for the UK to remain the world’s creative hub for CG artists.”
James Sindle, of The Mill, and a past student at Escape Studios, said “It’s a brilliant industry to work in, and I would definitely recommend it to the right person. The right training is essential to ensure you can offer employers the very best skills. The rewards include being involved in a constant stream of creative, inspiring work and taking part in fantastic projects. I can’t think of anything else I would enjoy doing as much.”
The Escape Studios CG Survey questioned over 2,850 professionals, hobbyists, students and academics in October and November 2009.
About Escape Studios
Escape is one of the most successful and well-respected CG academies in the world. We’re the proving ground for a new generation of computer graphics stars breaking into film, TV, games and commercials. We’re a vibrant community of professional artists. We’re a unique outsourcing resource for leading CG studios. We’re a specialist creative recruitment agency for entertainment, advertising, architecture and manufacturing businesses. We’re an authority on all things CG, offering informed opinions on cutting-edge creative, commercial and political issues. We’re host of the acclaimed CG awards. We’re a specialist IT consultancy and technology store. We are all of these things. We are CG. We are Escape Studios.
For further information, please visit www.escapestudios.com
About The Mill
The Mill is a world-leading visual effects company with offices in three of the most important global advertising centres; London, New York and Los Angeles. For over 19 years The Mill has been providing pioneering effects solutions to the advertising, music and film industries. We craft commercials, music videos and generate compelling film and TV. We create characters and the worlds they inhabit, photo-real CG so convincing that you won‘t be able to tell its animation. We build installations, projections, applications and create multi-media content and experiences. We have a global team of 400 plus made up of multi-national and home grown talent, and these passionate producers, artists and technicians use cutting edge technology to solve creative problems by delivering inspiring and award winning content to small and large screens around the world.
In addition to VFX, The Mill also provides solutions and concepts at the ideas and execution level. Our clients work collaboratively with our in-house directors, concept artists, animators and creative directors to define, direct and execute content for use across media. For further information, please visit www.the-mill.com
